Omaha daily bee., 1887-01-07

1
and decreased percentage of taxes.
The governor recommends liberal apnro-
priations for public institutions.
The subject of taxation Is one OF overshad,
owing Importance. and while the time will
probably never come when the inequalities in
the matter OF raising and collecting the pup
lie revenues will be entirely done away WIN,
yet an approximation to that result may DE
reached. This matter will receive such con-
sideration by you as its Importance demands.
and leave 1t with you, In the nope that your
united wisdom may discover remedy for
manifest inequalities under the present law.
TIVE INSANE.
In the exercise OF the discretionary power
vested in your chief executive, for good and
sufficient cause to me known, and deemng 1t
for the best interests of the institution.
change was made in the management and It's
affairs are at this time in n satisfactory con-
dtiOn
The new insane asylum, provided for by
act Of the last lie .slature. has been Completed
at cost of SG5, ~ For q full description OF
the building ana history of It's construction,
you are respectfully referred to the report of
the commissioners of public lands and build
ings.
An appropriation must be made at once for
the thorough furnishing, and operating ,eY-
pcnses OF this asylum. The capacity of this
building will be exhausted at an early day,
and concur IN the recommendation OF the
board of public lands and buildings, that pro
vision be made by you for the erection OF al
ditional buildings or wings to the present
structure.
STATE pENiTENTfARY.
The report of the warden of the state peni-
tentiary for the biennial term ending No
vember 80, 1856, presents a full statement of
affairs Of this institution which have been so
successfully managed and directed by the
present warden throughout his long term of
service.
The contract leasing our convict labor was
extended at the last session, and will expire
October ,lss9. The policy of continuing the
present system Is questioned by some, but
kpinf which is hlgpI upOn iniplml-
| tion gathered from the experience of other
states, favors its retention, giving as now the
| use of labor at proper hours, but the d sci
| pline ana control to remain with the warden.
The experience OF states where convict labor
| has been managed upon the state account
| system has been in the main failure, fnan-
cially and otherwise.
Our convlcts must have employment for
their own good 1t is the duty of the state to
| provide for this want, and In SO doing pro-
| lection may be had alike for public interests
| and our manufacturing interests, by provid-
| ing either for proper mark of identification
| as to articles manufactured by convict labor,
| or more fully by limiting the class of articles
| manufactured. Under the present system
| our cOnvicts are in a measure eSelf-supporting,
| and the effect of their labor in competition
| with our free labor is not felt to any appreci-
| able extent. Some of the states have taken
| an advance step in the matter OF Furnishing
| crime, and III so doing have set an example
that could with profit be followed in Ne
braska.
| hcCOSIllLllp tlic great Injustice, DOtu 10 So-
| ciety at large and to the individual under
| sentence, of placing young person who has
| for the first time yielded to temptation and
| committed crime, such as is punishable by
! Imprisonment In the penitentiary under our
| present law, in the same list, upon the same
| low plane, and subject to the degrading in.
huences of association with the confirmed
and hardened wretches to be found in our
penitentiaries, they have established an in
stltution known as an 'intermediate pen
itcntiary" or "state reformatory," which
stands midway between the reform school
and the penitentiary proper. The law gov.
ernng commitments to our reform school
fixes the maximum age at sixteen years. Per-
sons having committed felony, and beyond
that age, the penitentiary opens to receive
them. The laws governing the conduct of in
stitutionS such as l am now discussing pro-
vide for the receiving OF all criminals be-
tween the ages OF sixteen and twenty-five,
and not known to have been previously
sentenced to a state prison, and providing
that the court may in It's discretion sentence
to said retormatOry any such person con-
victed OF crime punishable by. impriSon-
ment in the state penitentiary and being be-
tween the ages of sixteen and twenty-five.
This plan commends itself strongly to my
Judgment as beneficial to the interests of
society, and bring it before you in recogni-
tion OF the fact that the time is near at hand
when we must provide increased room for
the care and safe keeping of our criminals.
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.
The growth of this school has been con-
slant and steady. From an attendance of
PA in 1881, II has increased to an attendance
of 47S in 1886. From forty to sixty graduates
from the elementary and higher courses ir are
sent out each year, q majority of whom en-
gage in teaching. The main or primary OBJ
ject of this school is TO educate and send out
trained teachers, and it is provided by
statute that any student having completed
the common school course shall be entitled
TO certificate, good for two years in any
part of the state.
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA.
Inc only thing TO make the University of
Nebraska source of pride and honor to the
state, is that the legislature, accepting the
truth OF history as shown by like Institutions
in older states, and realizing that the work
OF bul lding up great university is not that
of day, but rather one of long years of
patient labor and waiting, with hearty in
| ject no less broad and comprehensive than
| that embodied in the organic act which gave
1t life. SHALL in the judicious exercise of the
| power placed in their hands adopt a
versity as an endowed Institution with
| permanent revenues accrulng under general
laws" and take such action with
nue., and income of the university as
| provided and consecrated by the general gov
| crnment and the state" as will enable the
carrying out OF the far-reaching plan SO fully
| and clearly defined in the report of the board
! Of regents, and the report of the chancellor
| The recommendation of the board of regents
| as to the necessity of building for the in
| building for the use of the military depart
| ment, and that II shall be dedicated as a
| grand memorial hail. will meet with your ap-
| proval. The university is to day strong and
| vigorous in its several departments, and as
| To its future enlarged sphere of usefulness
| rests entirely in your hands.
| STATE PRINTING.
| In the matter OF printing and distributing
| the compiled statutes, it is recommended by
| the secretary of the state that to meet the IN
| creased demand new edition of not less
| than 5000 copies should be ordered by the
| Legislature, concur in this recommendations
| Attention is asked to the suggested amend
| ments of the present law governing the state
| printing, and TO remarks with reference TO
| the publication OF legislative journals.
| STATE LIBRARY.
| At the date of tho last report for the years
| 1858 and 1854, the state law and miscellaneous
| library contained 3,30s volumes. AS shown
| by the report OF the state librarian coyerin 9
the transactions OF his Office for the past two
| years, the number OF volumes IN the library
at the present time Is 26,319, making an in
| crease of 4.O1l volumes. During the same
| period there has been received from the sale
| OF Nebraska Reports, session laws and dunli-
| cate books the sum OF S9,Sl2S5, and for the
purchase of books there has been drawn
from the state treasury and expended tie
| sum of Sg,ss0.52.